System, method, and computer program for managing conference calls between a plurality of conference call systems

ABSTRACT

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for managing conference calls between a plurality of conference call systems. In operation, a conference management system monitors a plurality of call conference systems to determine whether at least one first conference system is attempting to connect to at least one second conference system. The conference management system connects the at least one first conference system with the at least one second conference system such that communication between the at least one first conference system and the at least one second conference system is managed by the conference management system. Additionally, the conference management system provides one suite of services to users of the at least one first conference system and the at least one second conference system.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/612,050, filed Jun. 2, 2017 and entitled “SYSTEM, METHOD, ANDCOMPUTER PROGRAM FOR MANAGING CONFERENCE CALLS BETWEEN A PLURALITY OFCONFERENCE CALL SYSTEMS,” which is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to conference call systems (audio and/orvideo), and more particularly to managing conference calls between aplurality of conference call systems.

BACKGROUND

Currently, when different conference call systems are engaged incommunication, the conference call systems operate as independentaudio\video systems, where each system uses its own native environmentand feature suite as a stand-alone system. The Session InitiationProtocol (SIP) standard is different from one product to another, and asa result, the compatibility level is low. There is not one unifiedcommunication system. Each platform comes with native management andmonitoring tools and offers different user experiences.

There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associatedwith the prior art.

SUMMARY

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for managingconference calls between a plurality of conference call systems. Inoperation, a conference management system monitors a plurality of callconference systems to determine whether at least one first conferencesystem is attempting to connect to at least one second conferencesystem. The conference management system connects the at least one firstconference system with the at least one second conference system suchthat communication between the at least one first conference system andthe at least one second conference system is managed by the conferencemanagement system. Additionally, the conference management systemprovides one suite of services to users of the at least one firstconference system and the at least one second conference system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a method for managing conference calls between aplurality of conference call systems, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a high level system diagram for managing conference callsbetween a plurality of conference call systems, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a cascade process that may be performed by a conferencemanagement system, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a system diagram illustrating conference management systemcomponents, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a process for managing conference calls between a pluralityof conference call systems, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a process for executing a command associated with aconference management system, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a process for obtaining a bridge ID, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a network architecture, in accordance with onepossible embodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary system, in accordance with oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a method 100 for managing conference calls between aplurality of conference call systems, in accordance with one embodiment.

In operation, a conference management system monitors a plurality ofcall conference systems to determine whether at least one firstconference system is attempting to connect to at least one secondconference system. See operation 102. The first and/or second callconference systems may include video conference systems and/or audioconference systems. In various embodiments, the first and/or second callconference systems may include phones, computers, and/or monitors, etc.Additionally, the first and/or second call conference systems mayimplement user interfaces for interfacing with the conference managementsystem (e.g. for initiating a call, etc.).

When the conference management system determines that the at least onefirst conference system is attempting to connect to the at least onesecond conference system, the conference management system connects theat least one first conference system with the at least one secondconference system such that communication between the at least one firstconference system and the at least one second conference system ismanaged by the conference management system. See operation 104. Theconference management system provides one suite of services to users ofthe first conference system(s) and the second conference system(s).

The one suite of services includes resources of the first conferencesystem(s) and/or the second conference system(s). These resources mayinclude, for example, interface (e.g. GUI, etc.) functionality such asvideo and/or audio settings, document sharing settings, participantaddition/removal settings, note sharing functionally, and/or any otherfunctionality or resources associated with the first conferencesystem(s) and/or the second conference system(s).

In one embodiment, the conference management system may connect thefirst conference system(s) with the second conference system(s)utilizing application programming interfaces (APIs) associated with thefirst conference system(s) and the second conference system(s). Thefirst conference system(s) and the second conference system(s) mayinclude different Unified Communications (UC) platforms.

It should be noted that the method 100 may be implemented utilizingvarious systems, hardware, software, applications, user interfaces,etc., as dictated by the implementer. For example, the conferencemanagement system may include one or more processors, databases, etc.,as well as implement various logic, computer code, applications, and/oruser interfaces, etc.

More illustrative information will now be set forth regarding variousoptional architectures and uses in which the foregoing method may or maynot be implemented, per the desires of the user. It should be stronglynoted that the following information is set forth for illustrativepurposes and should not be construed as limiting in any manner. Any ofthe following features may be optionally incorporated with or withoutthe exclusion of other features described.

FIG. 2 shows a high level system diagram 200 for managing conferencecalls between a plurality of conference call systems, in accordance withone embodiment. As an option, the system diagram 200 may be implementedin the context of the details of the previous figure and/or anysubsequent figure(s). Of course, however, the system diagram 200 may beimplemented in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

As shown, the system 200 includes a conference management system 202 formanaging conference calls between a plurality of conference call systems204. The conference management system 202 functions as a middlewarebetween two or more different Unified Communications (UC) platforms. Theconference management system 202 provides one simple user experience andone suite of services to users of the conference call systems 204.

The conference management system 202 uses the different platforms of theconference call systems 204 as resources (e.g. as a “backend” resources,etc.) and creates a shell of services on top of such resources. Theseservices may include single management, high availability, monitoring,and self-service tools, etc.

In one embodiment, the conference management system 202 may include fivemajor components: 1) one or more cascade core components; 2) a highavailability component; 3) a management component; 4) a monitoringcomponent; and 5) an i-Conference component.

In this case, the purpose of the cascade core component may be toestablish the connection between the different conference call systems204, which may be performed based on a set of rules and dialingrequirements. In one embodiment, the cascade core component may includea security component that secures the connection between the differentconference call systems 204 and verifies call establishment. One exampleof a cascade process performed by the cascade core component of theconference management system 202 is described in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the purpose of the high availability component is tomake sure that the cascade core component works both locally andgeographically, and that the cascade links established by the cascadecore component back up each other automatically.

The purpose of the management component is to have one management andconfiguration tool for the different platforms of the conference callsystems 204 and to manage all other components of the conferencemanagement system 202. In one embodiment, the management component mayprovide rules and terms for when and how to operate the cascade links ofthe cascade core components. In one embodiment, the cascade may bemodified to check on-going conferences in each platform and cascade onlythe shared conferences. In another embodiment, a cascade link may becreated for every new conference.

The purpose of the monitoring component is to provide full eventdescriptions and indications to have a clear status view of all thecomponents of the conference management system 202 and to providedrill-down information in case of failure.

The purpose of the i-Conference component is to give one user experienceabove all the platforms and to create set of common shared featuresbetween the platforms and to give the user the option to control theuser's bridge, or delegate the user's credentials to another user. Thei-Conference component may also function to record the call, dial out tothird party systems, run a “lecture” mode, and/or export detail reportson the call parties etc.

In operation, a cascade component of the conference management system202 monitors a first conference call system, “System A”, for liveconferences and determines that System A is trying to establish a newconference with a second conference call system, “System B”.

Once the conference management system 202 finds a new conference, theconference management system 202 will look for a cascade channel toverify that it does not exist, and if it does not exist, the conferencemanagement system 202 will create the call between “System A” and“System B”, excluding irrelevant conferences (SIP URI example: Dial-innumber@Domain; VMR=XXXX;password=YYYY). Of course, this is a simplifiedexample, as System A may try to create conferences with any number ofother conference call systems.

The conference management system 202 increases the level of flexibilityfrom standard call conference systems by adding the option to createdifferent service levels, to solve the problem of adjusting service to aspecific need. The conference management system 202 also reduces therisks of interoperability levels by adding multi-platform backup toincrease the level of compatibility between different platforms. Theconference management system 202 maintains user experiences by creatinga seamless operation process for end users and allowing the users to useonly a single platform. This mitigates the problems associated withhaving two standalone platforms.

The conference management system 202 connects the different platformsand provides management, without taking active part in the calls. Incase of failure of one or more platforms, the conference managementsystem 202 ensures that each system continues to work independently.Further, the conference management system 202 may use public APIsassociated with the conference call systems 204 platforms. Theconference management system 202 also ensures each participant uses themost native platform, so the level of integration between the platformsis always minimal.

FIG. 3 shows a cascade process 300 that may be performed by a conferencemanagement system, in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, theprocess 300 may be implemented in the context of the details of theprevious figures and/or any subsequent figure(s). Of course, however,the process 300 may be implemented in the context of any desiredenvironment. Further, the aforementioned definitions may equally applyto the description below.

As shown, a conference management system obtains an RMX list, loopsthrough each RMX, and scans each conference within the list. Seeoperation 302. The conference management system then determines whetherthe conference contains information including EQ information, operatorinformation, an empty password, and event information. See decision 304.The conference management system then obtains all parties from thecurrent conference. See operation 306. If the number of parties isgreater than zero, it is determined wither a cascade link has alreadybeen created. See decisions 308 and 310.

If the cascade party is the only party in the conference, then theconference management system removes it. If the conference is in“Disconnect”, the conference management system tries to reconnect for adefined number of times (e.g. 2, 4, etc.). See operation 312.

If a cascade has not been created, the conference management systemdetermines whether the participant is already connected to theconference or whether the conference is in Interactive Voice Response(IVR) status. See operation 314. The conference management system thengets a cascade SIP address, creates a cascade, and verifies that thecreation succeeded. See operations 316 and 318.

FIG. 4 shows a system diagram 400 illustrating conference managementsystem components, in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, thediagram 400 may be implemented in the context of the details of theprevious figures and/or any subsequent figure(s). Of course, however,the diagram 400 may be implemented in the context of any desiredenvironment. Further, the aforementioned definitions may equally applyto the description below.

As shown, the conference management system may implement, interfacewith, and/or include one or more desktop clients, web browsers, webservers, database layers, service interfaces, conferencing systems,and/or file system logs.

FIG. 5 shows a process 500 for managing conference calls between aplurality of conference call systems, in accordance with one embodiment.As an option, the process 500 may be implemented in the context of thedetails of the previous figures and/or any subsequent figure(s). Ofcourse, however, the process 500 may be implemented in the context ofany desired environment. Further, the aforementioned definitions mayequally apply to the description below.

As shown, a user opens a website associated with a conference managementsystem and sends a logon request utilizing a client device (e.g. acomputer, phone, etc.). See operation 502. The conference managementsystem returns User Data with an allowed bridge ID list. See operation504.

The client requestor then requests configuration data for a selectedbridge ID. See operation 506. The conference management system receivesthe request and obtains the data or starts a new ConfWatcher process forthe requested bridge ID. See operation 508.

The conference management system then determines whether the client hasthe latest data. See decision 510. The conference management system alsodetermines whether any clients are using the bridge ID. See decision512. If not, the conference management system stops and removes theConfWatcher process for the bridge ID. See operation 514.

If it is determined that the client does not have the latest data, theconference management system calls a SignalR process to update theclient GUI. See operation 516. On the client side, the client determineswhether the conference is active. See decision 518. If the conference isnot active, an inactive GUI indicator is displayed and conferencecommands are disabled. See operation 520. If the conference is active,an active GUI indicator is displayed and conference commands areenabled. See operation 522. When a user clicks a command buttonutilizing the GUI, the conference call management system calls aConfConnector interface to execute the selected command. See operations524 and 526.

FIG. 6 shows a process 600 for executing a command associated with aconference management system (e.g. operation 526 of FIG. 5), inaccordance with one embodiment. As an option, the process 600 may beimplemented in the context of the details of the previous figures and/orany subsequent figure(s). Of course, however, the process 600 may beimplemented in the context of any desired environment. Further, theaforementioned definitions may equally apply to the description below.

As shown, a conference management system receives a command request. Seeoperation 602. The conference management system determines whether itexecuted the command on all Conference System Connectors that supportit. See decision 604. If it did, the conference management system runsvarious commands. See operation 606. If it did not, the conferencemanagement system finishes running the received command. See operation608.

FIG. 7 shows a process 700 for obtaining a bridge ID (e.g. operation 508of FIG. 5), in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, the process700 may be implemented in the context of the details of the previousfigures and/or any subsequent figure(s). Of course, however, the process700 may be implemented in the context of any desired environment.Further, the aforementioned definitions may equally apply to thedescription below.

As shown, a conference management system retrieves an existingConference Watcher object or creates a new Conference Watcher object fora particular bridge Id. See operation 702. In one embodiment, theconference management system then retrieves configuration data via aMain Conference System Connector. See operation 704. In one embodiment,the conference management system may instead determine whether anyConference System Connector has active conference.

The conference management system then determines whether the conferenceis active. See operation 706. If the conference is not active, theconference management system updates the Conference Watcher process toinactive (unless it already is). See operation 708. If the conference isactive, the conference management system determines whether there areany other Conference System Connectors to query. See decision 710. Ifthere are, the conference management system retrieves configuration datavia the Conference System Connector. See operation 712. The conferencemanagement system then updates the Conference Watcher process with theconnector's data. See operation 714. Further, the conference managementsystem returns Conference Watcher process. See operation 716.

FIG. 8 illustrates a network architecture 800, in accordance with onepossible embodiment. As shown, at least one network 802 is provided. Inthe context of the present network architecture 800, the network 802 maytake any form including, but not limited to a telecommunicationsnetwork, a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a wide areanetwork (WAN) such as the Internet, peer-to-peer network, cable network,etc. While only one network is shown, it should be understood that twoor more similar or different networks 802 may be provided.

Coupled to the network 802 is a plurality of devices. For example, aserver computer 804 and an end user computer 806 may be coupled to thenetwork 802 for communication purposes. Such end user computer 806 mayinclude a desktop computer, lap-top computer, and/or any other type oflogic. Still yet, various other devices may be coupled to the network802 including a personal digital assistant (PDA) device 808, a mobilephone device 810, a television 812, etc.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary system 900, in accordance with oneembodiment. As an option, the system 900 may be implemented in thecontext of any of the devices of the network architecture 800 of FIG. 8.Of course, the system 900 may be implemented in any desired environment.

As shown, a system 900 is provided including at least one centralprocessor 901 which is connected to a communication bus 902. The system900 also includes main memory 904 [e.g. random access memory (RAM),etc.]. The system 900 also includes a graphics processor 906 and adisplay 908.

The system 900 may also include a secondary storage 910. The secondarystorage 910 includes, for example, a hard disk drive and/or a removablestorage drive, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive,a compact disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive reads from and/orwrites to a removable storage unit in a well-known manner.

Computer programs, or computer control logic algorithms, may be storedin the main memory 904, the secondary storage 910, and/or any othermemory, for that matter. Such computer programs, when executed, enablethe system 900 to perform various functions (as set forth above, forexample). Memory 904, storage 910 and/or any other storage are possibleexamples of non-transitory computer-readable media.

The system 900 may also include one or more communication modules 912.The communication module 912 may be operable to facilitate communicationbetween the system 900 and one or more networks, and/or with one or moredevices through a variety of possible standard or proprietarycommunication protocols (e.g. via Bluetooth, Near Field Communication(NFC), Cellular communication, etc.).

As used here, a “computer-readable medium” includes one or more of anysuitable media for storing the executable instructions of a computerprogram such that the instruction execution machine, system, apparatus,or device may read (or fetch) the instructions from the computerreadable medium and execute the instructions for carrying out thedescribed methods. Suitable storage formats include one or more of anelectronic, magnetic, optical, and electromagnetic format. Anon-exhaustive list of conventional exemplary computer readable mediumincludes: a portable computer diskette; a RAM; a ROM; an erasableprogrammable read only memory (EPROM or flash memory); optical storagedevices, including a portable compact disc (CD), a portable digitalvideo disc (DVD), a high definition DVD (HD-DVD™), a BLU-RAY disc; andthe like.

It should be understood that the arrangement of components illustratedin the Figures described are exemplary and that other arrangements arepossible. It should also be understood that the various systemcomponents (and means) defined by the claims, described below, andillustrated in the various block diagrams represent logical componentsin some systems configured according to the subject matter disclosedherein.

For example, one or more of these system components (and means) may berealized, in whole or in part, by at least some of the componentsillustrated in the arrangements illustrated in the described Figures. Inaddition, while at least one of these components are implemented atleast partially as an electronic hardware component, and thereforeconstitutes a machine, the other components may be implemented insoftware that when included in an execution environment constitutes amachine, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware.

More particularly, at least one component defined by the claims isimplemented at least partially as an electronic hardware component, suchas an instruction execution machine (e.g., a processor-based orprocessor-containing machine) and/or as specialized circuits orcircuitry (e.g., discreet logic gates interconnected to perform aspecialized function). Other components may be implemented in software,hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Moreover, some orall of these other components may be combined, some may be omittedaltogether, and additional components may be added while still achievingthe functionality described herein. Thus, the subject matter describedherein may be embodied in many different variations, and all suchvariations are contemplated to be within the scope of what is claimed.

In the description above, the subject matter is described with referenceto acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed byone or more devices, unless indicated otherwise. As such, it will beunderstood that such acts and operations, which are at times referred toas being computer-executed, include the manipulation by the processor ofdata in a structured form. This manipulation transforms the data ormaintains it at locations in the memory system of the computer, whichreconfigures or otherwise alters the operation of the device in a mannerwell understood by those skilled in the art. The data is maintained atphysical locations of the memory as data structures that have particularproperties defined by the format of the data. However, while the subjectmatter is being described in the foregoing context, it is not meant tobe limiting as those of skill in the art will appreciate that several ofthe acts and operations described hereinafter may also be implemented inhardware.

To facilitate an understanding of the subject matter described herein,many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions. At leastone of these aspects defined by the claims is performed by an electronichardware component. For example, it will be recognized that the variousactions may be performed by specialized circuits or circuitry, byprogram instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by acombination of both. The description herein of any sequence of actionsis not intended to imply that the specific order described forperforming that sequence must be followed. All methods described hereinmay be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated hereinor otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the subject matter (particularly in the context ofthe following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular andthe plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended toserve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separatevalue falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, andeach separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. Furthermore, the foregoing description isfor the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose oflimitation, as the scope of protection sought is defined by the claimsas set forth hereinafter together with any equivalents thereof entitledto. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “suchas”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illustrate thesubject matter and does not pose a limitation on the scope of thesubject matter unless otherwise claimed. The use of the term “based on”and other like phrases indicating a condition for bringing about aresult, both in the claims and in the written description, is notintended to foreclose any other conditions that bring about that result.No language in the specification should be construed as indicating anynon-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention asclaimed.

The embodiments described herein included the one or more modes known tothe inventor for carrying out the claimed subject matter. Of course,variations of those embodiments will become apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventor intends for the claimed subject matter tobe practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.Accordingly, this claimed subject matter includes all modifications andequivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended heretoas permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of theabove-described elements in all possible variations thereof isencompassed unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: providing, by a conferencemanagement system, an interface between a plurality of call conferencesystems each including a different Unified Communications (UC) platform;providing, by the conference management system, a shared suite ofservices for the plurality of call conference systems, the shared suiteof services created on top of the different Unified Communications (UC)platforms; monitoring, by the conference management system, theplurality of call conference systems to determine that a first callconference system of the plurality of call conference systems isattempting to connect to a second call conference system of theplurality of call conference systems; connecting, by the conferencemanagement system, the first call conference system with the second callconference system such that communication between the first callconference system and the second call conference system is managed bythe conference management system using the shared suite of services. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of call conference systemsinclude video conference systems.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theplurality of call conference systems include audio conference systems.4. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the first call conferencesystem with the second call conference system includes utilizingapplication programming interfaces associated the first call conferencesystem with the second call conference system.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the shared suite of services include management.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein the shared suite of services include highavailability.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared suite ofservices include monitoring.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein theshared suite of services include self-service tools.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the shared suite of services are created by theconference management system.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein theconference management system is a middleware between the differentUnified Communications (UC) platforms.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the conference management system makes the shared suite ofservices accessible to users of the plurality of call conference systemssuch that the users use only a single platform of the conferencemanagement system to establish a call conference via the connectionbetween the first call conference system and the second call conferencesystem thereby mitigating problems associated with having two standaloneplatforms including the first call conference system and the second callconference system.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the shared suiteof services includes resources of the plurality of call conferencesystems, the resources including interface functionality including videoand audio settings, document sharing settings, participant addition andremoval settings, and note sharing functionally.
 13. The method of claim1, wherein the conference management system includes: a cascade corecomponent to connect the first call conference system with the secondcall conference system based on rules and dialing requirements, whereinthe cascade core component includes a security component that securesthe connection between the first call conference system with the secondcall conference system and verifies call establishment, and ani-Conference component that provides a unified user experience above allof the plurality of call conference systems by creating the shared suiteof services for the plurality of call conference systems, wherein thei-Conference component provides users an option to control the user'sbridge and delegate the user's credentials to another user.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the i-Conference component functions torecord a call, dial out to third party systems, run a “lecture” mode,and export detail reports on parties to the call.
 15. A computer programproduct embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium,comprising computer code for: providing, by a conference managementsystem, an interface between a plurality of call conference systems eachincluding a different Unified Communications (UC) platform; providing,by the conference management system, a shared suite of services for theplurality of call conference systems, the shared suite of servicescreated on top of the different Unified Communications (UC) platforms;monitoring, by the conference management system, the plurality of callconference systems to determine that a first call conference system ofthe plurality of call conference systems is attempting to connect to asecond call conference system of the plurality of call conferencesystems; connecting, by the conference management system, the first callconference system with the second call conference system such thatcommunication between the first call conference system and the secondcall conference system is managed by the conference management systemusing the shared suite of services.
 16. The computer program product ofclaim 15, wherein the shared suite of services include management. 17.The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the shared suite ofservices include high availability.
 18. The computer program product ofclaim 15, wherein the shared suite of services include monitoring. 19.The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the shared suite ofservices include self-service tools.
 20. A conference management systemcomprising one or more processors operable for: providing, by theconference management system, an interface between a plurality of callconference systems each including a different Unified Communications(UC) platform; creating, by the conference management system, a sharedsuite of services for the plurality of call conference systems, theshared suite of services being created on top of the different UnifiedCommunications (UC) platforms; monitoring, by the conference managementsystem, the plurality of call conference systems to determine that afirst call conference system of the plurality of call conference systemsis attempting to connect to a second call conference system of theplurality of call conference systems; connecting, by the conferencemanagement system, the first call conference system with the second callconference system such that communication between the first callconference system and the second call conference system is managed bythe conference management system using the shared suite of services.